Guy-rope take-up and adjustable linkage



Sept. 14, 1965 H. T. CHESTER GUY-ROPE' TAKE-UP AND ADJUSTABLE LINKAGE Filed Dec. 2l, 1961 INVENTOR. HAROLD 7 CHESTER B Attorney Sept 14, 1965 H. T. CHESTER 3,206,169

GUY-ROPE -TAKE-UP AND ADJUSTABLE LINKAGE Filed Dec. 2l, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HAROLD T. CHESTER Attorney United States Patent O 3,206,169 GUY-RQPE TAKE-UP AND ADJUSTABLE LINKAGE Harold T. Chester, Cranford, NJ., assigner to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 169,996 3 craims. (ci. 25a-ias) This invention relates to tensioning of guy ropes and, more particularly, to a method and device for applying equal tension to a plurality of guy ropes or strands.

When a structure is guyed with ropes or strands, hereafter referred to as ropes, it is often necessary to apply a predetermined amount of tension to the guy ropes. Heretofore, each guying point has been secured by a single guy rope tensioned a predetermined amount. The use of multiple ropes for guying at a single point presents a diliicult problem of applying uniform tension to each of the ropes. For a large structure, a single rope ot up to 4 inches in diameter or more may be required. The use of such a large rope is ditlicult and such ropes are relatively expensive. For example, one 4 inch rope costs appreciably more than four 2 inch ropes, yet the tour 2 inch ropes collectively have at least the same strength as the one 4 inch rope.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a method of applying tension equally to a plurality of guying ropes.

It is another principal object of this invention to provide a device which will provide and maintain equal tension on a plurality of guying ropes.

It is often necessary to change the tension in a guy rope after it has been in service for a while due to slight shifting of the structure, or deformation of the guying rope.

It is therefore a further object of this invention to provide a device which is usable to initially tension a guying rope, or ropes, and can thereafter be used to retension the same rope or ropes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a view of a tower with attached guy ropes;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the tensioning device with the link bars removed;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the tensioning device;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line IV--IV of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View of wire rope zinced into a socket; and

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of one of the link bars of the tensioning device.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE l, a tower designated as T is shown guyed by ropes 10. Each rope 1i) has one end suitably connected to the tower T at 12 in any conventional manner. The other ends of the wires are each zinced into a socket 14 (FIGURE 5) in a conventional manner. Each socket 14 is provided with a U bolt 16, which bolt is mounted in the socket by nuts 18 in a conventional manner. Bolts 16 and nuts 18 provide for rough adjustment for rope length prior to the application of tension to the ropes, as well as for individual adjustment of rope lengths to obtain equal tension among the respective ropes.

Essentially, the tensioning device includes an upper tensioning block 20 to which the ropes 1i) are attached, and a lower tensioning block 22 which is firmly anchored. A running line is used to draw the upper block toward the lower block thus applying a desired amount of ten- 3,206,169 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 ice sion to the ropes, and then the blocks are secured in this position by link bars 23.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 4, the upper tensioning block 20 includes a pair of side support plates 24, 24' and a central support plate 26 located between the side plates 24, 24. A first pair of equalizer plates 28 are located between the side plate 24 and the central support plate 26 and a second pair of equalizer plates 28' are located between the side plate 24 and the central support plate 26. A joining pin 30 connects the equalizer plates 28, 28 to the side plates 24, 24 and central plate 26. The joining pin 30 projects beyond outer faces of the side plates 24, 24 the purpose of which will be described presently.

A pair of engaging pins 32 pass through the upper part of the equalizer plates 28, and a pair of engaging pins 32 pass through equalizer plates 28. The engaging pins 32, 32 are secured respectively by nuts and bolts 33, 33'. Each of the engaging pins 32 is surrounded by a spool 34, and each of the engaging pins 32' is surrounded by a spool 34. These spools 34, 34 serve to maintain the equalizer plates 32, 32' respectively in spaced apart relationship, and also each of the four spools 34, 34' is adapted to engage the U bolt 16 of one `of the sockets 14. Thus, four sockets, with ropes 1t) zinced therein can be secured to the upper block 20.

A journal pin 36 passes through the side plates 24, 24 and central plate 26 below the equalizer plates 28, 28. Two sheaves 38 are rotatably mounted on the journal pin 36 between side plates 24 and central plate 26 and two sheaves 38 are rotatably mounted on the journal pin 36 between side plate 24 and central plate 26.

The lower block 22 includes a pair of side support plates 40, 40 and a central support plate 42 similar to the side plates 24, 24' and central plate 26 of the upper block. A joining pin 44, similar to joining pin 30, passes through the side plates 40, 40 and central plate 42 and extends beyond the outer faces of the side plates 40, 40. An anchor rod 46 is mounted on joining pin 44 between side plate 4t) and central plate 42, and an anchor rod 46 is mounted on joining pin 44 between side plate 40' and central plate 42. The anchor rods are adapted to be embedded in concrete as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

A journal pin 48 passes through the side plates 40, 40 and central plate 42 above the anchor rods 46, 46'. A pair of sheaves 50 are rotatably mounted on the journal pin 48 between side plate 4 0 and central plate 42 and a pair of sheaves 50 are rotatably mounted on journal pin 48 between the side plate 40 and central plate 42.

To apply tension, the lower block 22 is firmly anchored by anchor rods 46, 46. The ropes 10 are zinced into the sockets 14 and the U bolts 16 are engaged around spools 34, 34. A running line L is secured to the concrete by an anchored bolt 52 as shown in FIGURE 3 and reeved around the sheaves 38, 38 and 50, 50 as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3. The free end of the running line L is connected to a suitable pulling device (not shown) such as a donkey engine and is pulled. The force on the running line L will tend to draw the upper and lower blocks 20, 22 together; but since the lower block 22 is rmly anchored, the upper block 20 will be drawn toward the lower block 22, which will tension the ropes 10. Pulling is continued on the running line L until the desired amount of tension has been applied to the ropes at which time pulling is discontinued and the static load allowed to remain. The projecting ends of the joining pin 30 of the upper block 2li and the joining pin 44 of the lower block 22 are then interconnected by a pair of link bars 23 and shms 53 and S4. The link bars 23 (FIGURE 6) each have a circular aperture 55 adapted aaoaree q v 3 to engage a projecting end of joining pin 30, and an elongated aperture 56 adapted to engage a projecting end of joining pin 44. With the static load on the running line L, the link bars 23 are connected between the joining pins 30 and 44. The shims 53 and 54 are placed around the pin 44 to ll up the spaces in the elongated apertures '56 and maintain the upper and lower blocks 20, 22 in their spaced apart relationship. Shims 53 have one tace rounded to fit around pin 44, and shims 54 are T shaped so that they project beyond the outer faces of link bars 23. The link bars 23 are held to joining pin 44 by rectangular caps 58 and screws 59 and to joining pin 30 by circular caps 60 and screws 61. The static load is then removed from the running line L and the link bars 50 and shims 53 and 54 will maintain the blocks in this position. Thus, the tension applied to the ropes will remain. To provide a solid shim structure, the shims 54 may be welded together and to caps 58 by spot welds as at 62 after they have been implaced. The sheaves S0, 50' can be removed by pivoting plates 40, 40 and 42 about pin 44 until the sheaves are clear of the link bars 23, and then removing pin 48. The sheaves 38, 38' can be removed in a similar manner.

To readjust tension after tension has initially been applied, the welds 62 are broken and the sheaves replaced. A running line is reeved around the sheaves as described above. If more tension is desired, upper shims 54 are removed as required and the running line is pulled until the new amount of tension is applied, whereupon the necessary additional lower shims are added. If less tension is desired lower shims are removed, after freeing from pressure by pulling the running line, and the running line loosened until the desired tension is attained. The shims 54 are reinserted to assume the static load, as previously described, and may again be welded together `to provide a solid shim structure as described above.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

t least one of said apertures in each of said links being an elongated aperture to permit substantial pin movement therein, in the line of guy tension; and

(e) removable shims adapted to he positioned in said elongated apertures to selectively secure ixed distance relationship between said tensioning blocks.

2. A guy rope tensioning device comprising (a) two tensioning blocks having sheave assemblies adapted to be drawn toward each other;

(b) each of said sheave assemblies having removable journal pins;

(c) outwardly extending connecting means surrounding each journal pin at the inner ends of said connecting means;

(d) joining pins in the outer ends of said connecting means;

(e) separate means attached to each of said joining pins, adapted to be connected to members to be tensioned;

(f) two removable interconnecting link bars with apertured ends adapted to be connected to said joining pins on opposite sides of said tensioning blocks, at least one of said apertures in each of said link bars being an elongated aperture;

(g) shims in said elongated apertures adapted to maintain said blocks in adjustable spaced apart relationship.

3. The device of claim 2 in which at least one of the subparagraph (e) means includes means for attachment to multiple members to be tensioned, said latter means providing for individual length adjustment of said rnembers to be tensioned.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS l 291,740 1/84 lewett 254-135 358,458 3/87 Kesling 254-161 811,254 1/06 Smith 254-161 1,347,443 7/ 20 Christiani 308-244 1,351,867 9/20 Oakes 254-190 1,436,608 11/22 Rodier 254-188 1,662,479 3/ 28 Smith 308-244 1,981,500 11/34 Frelin 308-244 2,328,364 8/43 Taylor 254-65 XR 2,861,332 11/58 Hayden 29-452 FOREIGN PATENTS 499,951 1.2/50 Belgium.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH P. STRZAK, Examiner. 

1. A GUY ROPE TENSIONING DEVICE COMPRISING (A) TWO TENSIONING BLOCKS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO A GUY ROPE ASSEMBLY AND ANCHOR MEANS; (B) SHEAVES MOUNTED IN SAID TENSIONING BLOCKS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A RUNNING LINE TO PERMIT DRAWING THE BLOCKS TOWARD EACH OTHER; (C) PINS PROJECTING FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH BLOCK; (D) TWO NON-EXTENSIBLE REMOVABLE INTERCONNECTING LINKS WITH APERTURED ENDS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO SAID PINS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TENSIONING BLOCKS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID APERTURE IN EACH OF SAID LINKS BEING AN ELONGATED APERTURE TO PERMIT SUBSTANTIAL PIN MOVEMENT THEREIN, IN THE LINE OF GUY TENSION; AND (E) REMOVABLE SHIMS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN SAID ELONGATED APERTURES TO SELECTIVELY SECURE FIXED DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID TENSIONING BLOCKS. 